Another beautiful little book from Hesperus Press. Again, the other reviews have covered this book far better than I could ever hope to, so all I can add are my own thoughts- fairly interesting, but even though it's rather short at 90-odd pages, it did drag slightly. ( )

On Wine and Hashish is a short, lyrical glimpse into two drugs but mostly explores the effects of hashish. I liked this book so much better than Thomas de Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium-eater, probably because Baudelaire does such a great job capturing the effects of the altered mind.

I don't quite agree with Baudelaire's proclamations that artificially stimulating the consciousness somehow nullifies the authenticity of the user and hir activities. I also disagree with the notion that any activity that leads to idleness and hedonistic apathy is bad, although I could just be a product of the 20th/21st centuries where people generally spend every waking minute distracting ourselves from reality.

But, you know, women are not good at analysis according to Baudelaire, so I could just be totally wrong. ;) ( )

The other reviews below do a good job summarizing and commenting on this book, so I will limit myself to just a few observations and comments. Frankly, I was attracted to this small volume (truly a beautiful production) by its title (classic) and my interest in books about wine and alcohol. In simple terms, Baudelaire (writing in 1851) wants us to believe that wine is good, hashish is dangerous; though his efforts to describe the “absolute bliss” produced by hashish are oddly alluring and compelling. But when he looks at the relative effects of the two stimulants on their users, he extols the wholesome, humane benefits of wine while damning the hypnotic, life-destroying qualities of hashish. In reading the essay, I was reminded of the famous William Hogarth prints (from 1751), Beer Street (good) and Gin Lane (evil), created by Hogarth in support of the Gin Act.

There are some wonderful aphorisms in this essay: “A man who drinks only water has a secret to hide from his fellow men.” “Work makes weekdays prosperous, wine makes Sundays happy.” “Wine elevates the will, hashish annihilates it.”

Finally, I note that Baudelaire refers to wine generically. Today of course, any such essay on wine would invariably contain extended discussions and descriptions of particular producers, vintages, terroir, tastings, bottles and the memorable meals that accompanied the wine. In this essay, at least, for Baudelaire (and likely for most of his countrymen in 1851) wine is a generic commodity, although one that develops man’s poetic character without (unlike its rival) robbing him of his will and sociability. ( )

A lovely little volume of essays that I'd heard about but never read. I'm not a French speaker, so can't attest to the quality of the translation, but I do know what appeals to me about Baudelaire's writing, and this one brings it beautifully. Descriptions of intoxication and its aftereffects are typically lush and minutely detailed. There is a monitory quality to some of the content, as though Baudelaire, while following "le dérèglement de tous les sens" to its fullest extent, tries to legitimize his personal explorations by treating them journalistically in a 19th century version of "kids, don't try this at home." That these essays were written for money is a factor in this presentation, and probably relates to his lifelong production style of inspiration versus hard work. It's hard to balance the two when your research methods conflict with your output method. Even the flyleaf of this edition makes reference to "the phoney exotica of excess" (the original French title: Les paradis artificiels) as if to justify intoxication in pursuit of enlightenment. But that's really what this book is about, and it doesn't lessen the art for its association with commerce.

Can;t say enough about the design and presentation of this book. There are a number of other titles in Hesperus's series, and this one definitely makes me want to see others. ( )

This is the second book from Hesperus Press that I have had under the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program and I have to say that I am coming to like their take on classical authors more and more. I am also very impressed with the production quality that they bring to their books.

This is a odd work from Baudelaire and not at all what I was expecting. I have, of course, in younger years read Les Fleurs du Mal and enjoyed them. I also had a vague recollection of him as a translator of De Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium-Eater and an opium addict himself. I was therefore prepared for an interesting disquisition on the relative merits of the two eponymous inebriants. Not a bit of it.

Of 83 pages in total a mere 14 are given over, the first 14, to the joys and bonhomie of wine. The remainder is a strange diatribe against hashish and its users. Baudelaires motivation here, if we are to believe Margaret Drabble's foreword was partly prompted by his republican sympathies and the dilettante habits and lifestyles of Parisian hashish users. It is not impossible that there is a thread of self hatred for his own opium addiction hiding behind this irrational and clouded assessment.

The case in favour of wine is very much in the motherhood and apple pie mode of rural idyll ignoring or glossing over any genuine problems whereas the case against hashish is characterized by Baudelaire's recurring use of the word poison.

No slouch myself with respect to the various effects of pschotropic drugs I was frankly amazed when Baudelaire writes: "Hashish is composed of a decoction of indian hemp, butter and a small quantity of opium." I have never experienced this "green jelly" which was, we are told, often taken in hot, strong, black coffee and have been unable to find anybody who has.

A singular structural oddity in this text is that Baudelaire seldom if ever indulges in first person examples relying instead on anecdotal evidence even stretching far enough to create a hypothetical hashish user to subject to his prejudices. Moreover some of the deleterious effects of hashish struck me as more likely to be the result of the admixture of opium into the drug. And some even to the butter!

There is a very good discussion of Hesperus Press' list and approach here - http://preferreading.blogspot.com/2010/02/hesperus-press.html - well wort a read. ( )